PC Operating Systems

Operating System definition

Definition: software that controls and manages hardware and
basic system operations for a computer. The operating
system loads programs into the computer's memory, runs
these programs, and manages peripherals like disks and
printers.

www.iolo.com/labs/Glossary.aspx

Windows 7

Pros

Most popular operating system

Applications & driver support – Undoubtedly
Windows has the most number of
applications

Cons

Not free, restricted, no freedom

Because of the high usage, most
spywares and viruses are targeted to this
platform.

http://blog.hafees.com/windows/windows-linux-and-mac-a-comparison/

Mac OS X

Pros

Targeted less by viruses &
spywares

Applications – A large number of excellent
professional applications are available in this platform
and hence preferred by designers and other
professionals.

Cons

Cost of ownership is high – User is not free to try it
out by paying for the operating system alone,
instead the user is forced to buy new hardware at
premium prices.

Though, based on open source
operating systems, it is still
proprietary

http://blog.hafees.com/windows/windows-linux-and-mac-a-comparison/

Ubuntu

Pros

Free software – No cost, no
restrictions – complete freedom.

Excellent community – Most of the Linux distributions (or
simply called as a distro), especially Ubuntu has excellent
community support. So if you ran into a problem, just seek
help from the community.

Cons

Unstable – While it is true that Linux is one of
the most stable and secure operating
systems, you might’ve experienced many
crashes.

Installation may be difficult if your hardware
is not standard (less available or less
popular).

http://blog.hafees.com/windows/windows-linux-and-mac-a-comparison/

Chromium

Chromium OS is an open-source project that aims to
build an operating system that provides a fast,
simple, and more secure computing experience for
people who spend most of their time on the web.